The second major Festival to launch its programme in June, the Edinburgh International Book Festival has swung into action with a mammoth schedule of talks and seminars.  Coinciding with the second part of the Fringe, and running from 13th to 29th August this year, there's a lot to recommend the Book Festival; it's gentle, manageable, and the sheer variety of its programme means you're sure to find something which interests you there.

Courtesy Edinburgh International Book Festival

What's on this year

As always, the programme's index of authors makes a serviceable Who's Who of the current literary scene.  Events range from the high-brow to the unashamedly popular; simply glancing over the list turns up names as varied as Carol Ann Duffy, Iain Banks, Alasdair Gray and the ever-present Alexander McCall Smith.  Non-fiction particularly well-represented this year, with a fascinating programme of talks on subjects as diverse as history, travel and science; Melvyn Bragg, AA Gill and Jon Ronson are among the well-known figures to be found among the programme's pages.

As usual, there's a good smattering of figures in the public eye who have books out this year.  Among other A-listers, Simon Callow returns for another look at his memoir, ex-MI5 head Stella Rimington discusses spy novels (what else?) and Melvyn Bragg charts the history of the King James Bible.  The worlds of journalism and the media are also represented, with such well-known figures as Ed Stourton and Roy Hattersley appearing this year.

But the true treasure's only found when you dig a little; lesser-known authors and half-remembered names can often offer the most rewarding Book Festival discoveries.  And for families, there's an extensive programme of affordable children's events, with topics tailored to the youngest of babies right up to teens.

Browsing and booking

If you're familiar with arrangements from previous years, note that the box office opens on Sunday this year.  See below for details.

Ironically, perhaps, for this Festival of the printed word, the easiest way to browse the programme is online.  You can download the whole thing as a PDF file from the Book Festival's web site; if you're daunted by its size, just flip to the index of authors right at the back.  Or, if you know more or less what you're looking for, you could try out their online search engine.

You can also pick up the programme from many bookshops and libraries within Scotland.  Here in Edinburgh, The Hub - on the Royal Mile near the castle - is also sure to have copies alongside other Festival brochures, as is the Tourist Information Centre above Waverley Station.

Either way, you have a little under a week to make your picks if you want to be sure of your seats.  Popular tickets for the Book Festival go very quickly, and it's not unusual for a well-known author to sell out on the day the box office opens.

Booking starts at 8:30am on Sunday 26 June, when you should be able to get your tickets through the Book Festival's website.  It usually struggles to cope with opening-day demand, so register in advance and be prepared to have to keep trying.  If you've booked in previous years, be sure you know your password - you can log in right now to check.

Phone lines open at the same time - call 0845 373 5888.  They'll also be very busy for the first few days.

If you prefer to go in person, you'll need to note some complex arrangements.  On Sunday 26 June only, the Book Festival box office will be temporarily housed at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, who have the facilities to cope with the expected crowds; it's open from 8:30am to 5pm.  After that, it moves to the International Festival's Hub booing office near the Castle, open from 10am to 5pm from Monday to Saturday.  Finally, it's all change again on 13th August - when the operation decamps to the festival proper at Charlotte Square.

Remember - this is one Festival where it really does pay to book early.  We can remind you when tickets are about to go on sale.  Sign up to get Ticket Alerts in your Inbox.